The site of San Pietro is not only exceptionally beautiful but it is also interesting from the historical point of view. In pagan times there was a temple of goddess Venus here, from which the name... more
We arrived in Portovenere from La Spezia by ferry. I think it was a much better choice than coming by bus. What can be nicer on a hot summer day than a cool breeze from the sea? Besides, the first... more
The main street in Portovenere, Via Capellini - also known as Carugio - cuts through the town. It starts from the arched gateway by the harbour and runs uphill to la Chiesa San Pietro, a church built... more
Monterosso is the most western village of Cinque Terre located on the hills where vines and olives are cultivated. It's the only of the five that has a small... more
Although Cinque Terre was the main reason of our visit to Liguria, it didn't turn out to be the highlight of it. It doesn't mean of course that I wasn't... more
The Andrea Doria castle is a great example of Genoa military art. It was built by the noble Genoese family called Doria. The best known member of the family was... more
The church of San Lorenzo was built in 1116 by the Genoeses just after they purchased the town. In 1130 it was consecrated by Pope Innocenzo 2nd. It is in shape... more
The main street of Porovenere, called via Cappellini, is entered at its one end through an ancient gate. To the left of the gate you can see the 17th century... more
Byron's grotto is behind a rocky area next to the San Pietro church. It is said to be a place regularly visited by Byron. As the rumour goes, it is from here... more
Built in around the 1200's (apparently there is no actual historical date available - it's said to be debatable), this huge castle sits atop the hill, next to... more
.You can go by a boat to the three islands from Portovenere: excursion takes about 40 minuts and contains panoramic view of Byron's bay, Grotta Azzurra and of... more
.You can visit all 5 Cinque Terre villages by boat starting from Portovenere (or La Spezia).Choose what you prefer: daily trips, half day excursions or any... more
Portovenere's views are dominated by the large rocky island known as Isola Palmaria. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called le Bocche. The... more
Two steep staircases through narrow passages link Via Capellini with Calata Doria, the waterfront promenade. They are known as Iº Capitolo and IIº Capitolo... more
Portovenere lies at the southern end of the national park of Cinque Terre and is a great base for visiting the park and its villages. From here, the ferry boat,... more
Preserved to this day, the official entrance into the town of Portovenere in medieval times is pierced through the fortified walls. The arched gateway leads to... more
Dominating the whole of Portovenere, the hilltop Castello Doria dates from 1161. It was built by the Genoese over the ruins of a previous castle and used for... more
The most important church in Portovenere, la Chiesa di San Lorenzo was built in 1116 by the Maestri Antelami. It is located a little below Castello Doria and... more
Also built for defensive purposes, la Torre Capitolare is a mediaval tower located at the town's entrance. It contains Gothic details and dominates the harbour.... more
The archway of defense walls has been built on the right hand side of the castle all the way down to the sea. One of the main fortification installations is the... more
The Church of San Lorenzo was built in the 12th century and has a romanesque facade. Damage from cannon fire, the worst in 1494, caused the church and belltower... more
The Grotta dell'Arpaia (now collapsed), known as Byron's Grotto, from which the English poet Byron swam across the gulf of La Spezia to San Terenzo to visit... more
This beautiful bronze statue has been placed by the Portovenere community overlooking the bay of Lord Byron, and it is another art piece of the famous artist... more
One enters the medieval village through its old city gate with a Latin inscription from 1113 above it. To the left of the gate are Genoese measures of capacity... more
The Calata Doria is overlooked by tall houses originally built as defense towers directly above the sea. Today they allow postcard picture photographs as they... more
Upon departing Venice, we headed off to Milan where we had a booking at Hotel Serena. This booking was made 1 year in advance, and as with all other bookings we had made, we had re-confirmed before......
Portovenere is a town and municipality located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Portovenere, and the three islands...
I visited Portovenere in summer 2011 during our family holiday in Tuscany and Liguria. The place I had never heard about before turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. What I had planned...
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